FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
5/29/2006
Contact:
Cathy Theys
(phone number not on the Web, but provided upon request)
cathy@ProMoM.org

ProMoM Announces an Open Letter to Businesses Regarding Breastfeeding in Public

The open letter gives ideas to businesses handling occasional customer complaints regarding breastfeeding in public.

New York, NY -- Volunteers with ProMoM (Promotion of Mother's Milk, Inc.) have written an open letter to businesses regarding breastfeeding 
in public and have launched a new "For Businesses" section of their Web site, ProMoM.org.

The letter includes suggestions for business owners or managers when working with a customer who is breastfeeding in their business or when 
handling complaints about a breastfeeding mother. The letter also provides information about public breastfeeding laws and how becoming a 
breastfeeding friendly establishment benefits businesses.

"At ProMoM, we have a section where visitors to our site can email letters either praising a business for supporting breastfeeding or 
helping to educate a business that may be unaware of the benefits of breastfeeding and the rights of breastfeeding mothers. Currently, 
mothers' experiences are such that many of our letters have the same pattern: an employee of a business tells a mother nursing her child that she 
'Cannot do that here', tells her to 'cover-up', or suggests the mother feed her baby in the bathroom. Then the mother gets frustrated and shares 
her experiences with her friends, about how this business harassed this mother. Soon, mothers from around the world email or telephone the 
management of the business to express their support of a mother nursing her child. Eventually, the business will issue an apology to the mother. 
A business and their customers could have a more  positive experience with education and forward thinking customer service," said ProMoM 
volunteer Cathy Theys.

"Because mothers know ProMoM supports breastfeeding in public, we are often a contact point for mothers who have had trouble nursing in a 
business.  It is our experience that many of these incidents start with nice people that may be unaware of the laws that protect a mother's 
right to nurse her child in public.  Sometimes, employees may not be aware of their company's breastfeeding policy or the company simply 
does not have one. Also, the employee may not have experience with handling a breastfeeding related complaint," said 
ProMoM Executive Director Carrie Patterson.

ProMoM hopes that by promoting breastfeeding and nursing in public, more people will accept that breastfeeding is a natural everyday occurrence, 
and the normal way to feed infants and young children. ProMoM also wants to support businesses and expectant mothers by showing them that it 
is possible to breastfeed  in public discreetly and without anyone being embarrassed. You can see more information and tips on breastfeeding 
in public at http://www.ProMoM.org/nno.

Nursing benefits both the child and the mother. ProMoM.org lists 101 reasons to breastfeed. Benefits to the mother include a decrease in her 
risks of breast and ovarian cancers as well as a boost in her weight loss efforts. Breastmilk also gives a nursing mother more freedom, 
flexibility, and safety while traveling and shopping with an infant. Breastmilk is always ready, always at the right temperature, comes in an 
environmentally friendly package, and fresh breastmilk is never contaminated with bacteria. Among the benefits for the child 
are: decreased risk of major diseases such as cancer, diabetes and asthma. Breastfed children also have lower risks of illnesses such as ear 
infections and diarrhea. 

The Open Letter to Businesses and more information about the For Businesses section can be found online at ProMoM.org/businesses or by 
emailing ExecutiveDirector@ProMoM.org.

ProMoM is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public awareness and public acceptance of breastfeeding.
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